


Sharing a bed

by Dangel_Gemini



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Canon Divergence, Fanfiction, I don’t know how the hell this tagging thing works, I think this is good for a first try, M/M, Sabriel - Freeform, Sharing a bed AU, Supernatural - Freeform, almost forgot that one, don’t you?, help me, this was supposed to be a oneshot but i got carried away, vetala hunt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:21:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25622827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dangel_Gemini/pseuds/Dangel_Gemini
Summary: While he was successfully rescued from Hell, something very important was left behind. All traces of Gabriel's grace were gone.He knows where it is, but it's gonna take a while to get it.While waiting for the right time, Gabriel has taken to going hunting with the brothers, specifically Sam.After a mix up and some bad luck, Sam and Gabriel find themselves in a one bed motel room, on a week long hunt.
Relationships: Gabriel/Sam Winchester, Sabriel - Relationship
Comments: 10
Kudos: 80





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is all thanks to me sharing an image from Pinterest with my Instagram group chat  
> I’m having a lot of fun writing it and I got impatient and wanted to share it  
> Hope it’s good!

The glass fogged up from warm breath. Gabriel traced his fingers along the smooth surface, creating a crude drawing of a stick figure. He glanced to his side at his companion, then added two sticks from the figure's head. 

"Check it out, Sammy," Gabriel said, eagerly tapping Sam on the shoulder. 

After carefully scanning the road, Sam took his eyes off for a brief moment.  
He squinted a bit, then turned his attention back to the road. 

"What is it?" He asked, much to Gabriel's disappointment. 

"It's you, obviously."

Sam snorted and rolled his eyes.  
"Right, obviously."

Gabriel pursed his lips and rolled his neck, stretching out as much as he could in the front seat of this spare car. Him and Sam had been on the road for nine hours now and his legs were getting cramped. The sun had begun going down, just barely peaking over the trees and nearly blinding Sam when they faced the west.

"How much longer? My legs are falling asleep," Gabriel complained, erasing his window doodle and starting again. 

Sam glanced at the directions before answering.  
"The town's off the next exit. Hang tight, we're almost there."

Gabriel groaned.  
"That's good, I don't know how much more of this car I can take."

Sam silently agreed. After nearly two whole days of driving, he was tired too. 

By the time the exit came into view, the sun had dropped from sight, leaving nothing behind but a small trail of stars just starting to show. 

The town looked sleepy. A few people were out walking dogs, but other than that, nothing. A small motel was near the entrance, the parking lot only having a few empty spaces. 

Sam pulled into the lot and parked the car. The second he pulled the parking break, Gabriel was out the door. He twisted around and waved his arms and legs. 

"Freedom!" He exclaimed, spinning in place. 

Sam rolled his eyes and unloaded the bags, one for each of them. He slung them over his shoulder and closed the trunk, locking the car behind him. He walked around to the front and grabbed Gabriel loosely by the wrist, pulling him towards the entrance to the motel. 

An older looking man was sitting at the desk, newspaper in hand, legs propped on the counter. Sam cleared his throat and the man snapped to a more presentable state. 

"Hello gentlemen, what can I do for you?" He asked, his voice sounding like he smoked twelve packs a day. 

Due to a previous experience (don't ask), Sam did all the talking with motel clerks.  
"Uh hi, one room please, two singles."

The man tapped something on a keyboard and hummed.  
"Sorry fellas, we only have two rooms available, both with one bed."

Sam shrugged.  
"Well that's okay, we'll just take two rooms."

"They're on opposite ends of the motel, so unless you wanna walk down a flight of stairs and a million hallways, you're screwed. But be my guest, might make me laugh."

Frustrated, Sam took a deep breath in, closing his eyes.  
"Okay. We'll take the ground floor room. Now, how much will that be?" He spoke slowly and through his teeth. 

"Depends on how long you're staying, but we do the charge at the end. Just say your time and you can pay at the end."  
The man seemed pleased with himself, clearly getting joy out of their misfortune. 

Gabriel glared at the man while Sam took care of the arrangements. Why work at a motel if you clearly hate people?

"Okay, here's the key cards. If you need anything call the desk and someone will help you. Now go, my crossword won't do itself." The man handed two plastic cards to Sam and lifted his newspaper back up. 

"What we need is another bed..." Gabriel muttered under his breath when the pair left the building.  
"That guy's a dick."

Sam shrugged.  
"Shitty people are nothing new, he didn't seem that bad. At least we got a room."

The room was #26. Sam put the card in, then he put the card it, and he put the card in... did the guy give them a faulty card?  
"Oh for fu- work!"  
Finally, the light turned green and the door opened. 

Sam flicked on the lights and they buzzed on. An AC hummed in the corner, filling the room with the familiar motel room atmosphere. 

There was a tv on the six drawer dresser, a mini fridge sitting next to it, a microwave on top. A table and two chairs stood next to the bed. Just as the man had said, the room only contained one queen sized bed, a nightstand on either side. 

Gabriel sighed dramatically and pushed past Sam to flop on the bed.  
"I don't know where you're sleeping, but this is my spot."

Sam closed the door, dropped the bags, then walked to the bed and gave his friend a shove.  
"I'm sleeping here."

Gabriel sprawled our, taking you as much space on the bed as he could.  
"Come on Sammy, act your age and let me have the bed."

"You're over ten thousand!" 

"And that's why I should I have the bed."

An idea popped into Sam's head, but he quickly put it out of his mind. There was no way he was gonna suggest sharing, that'd just be weird.  
Unfortunately, Gabriel noticed the shift in expression. 

"What's with the face?"

Sam shook his head.  
"Nothing, don't worry about it."

"No," Gabriel said, rolling on to his stomach. "Tell me."

"Um, maybe- we could always share?" Sam mumbled, his eyes going to the floor. 

A million thoughts raced through Gabriel's head, his face tingeing a faint pink.  
"Uh, that's an idea..."

"I mean," Sam cleared his throat. "I mean only if you're comfortable with it."

Gabriel shrugged.  
"Why not?"

The room filled with awkward silence, the only sounds being breathing and the air conditioning. 

Breaking the silence, Gabriel rolled off the bed and grabbed his bag.  
"Welp, Imma change real quick."

Sam nodded and pursed his lips, still a little flustered. Once the door closed, Sam took the opportunity to change from jeans and layers to comfy pants and a single long sleeved shirt. 

Gods, how stupid could he be? Why'd he even come up with the idea to share? I guess, it was always there, but why was it there in the first place? 

His thoughts trailed off as the bathroom door clicked open and Gabriel stepped out, wearing a baggy pair of pants and an oversized t-shirt (borrowed from Sam, obviously.)  
As much as he hated to admit, Gabriel did look kinda, maybe, sorta adorable in the oversized loners. 

Sam caught himself before Gabriel noticed he was staring, flicking his gaze to the wall instead of his companion. 

"Nice wall, isn't it?" Gabriel asked, plopping down on the bed, legs crisscrossed. 

"I'm trying to figure out if it's paint or wallpaper," Sam lied smoothly but stupidly.

"Well that sounds about as fun as watching grass grow."

Sam shot him a blank stare, then opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by a yawn. Gabriel didn't even try to hide his laughter, before yawning himself.

"Wanna order some food and get some sleep?" Sam asked, even though he already knew the answer. 

Gabriel nodded his head furiously.  
"Absolutely."

Sam pulled out his phone and called one of the takeout places on a (very handy) list by the room phone. 

"Hello, thank you for calling Pizza Daddy-"  
"Chloe!"  
"Sor-ry. Thank you for calling Papa John's, my name is Chloe, how can I help you?"

Sam stifled a laugh before placing the order.  
"Can I get a large pizza? One half with peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, and sausage. The other half with just pepperoni."

The line was silent for a minute before Chloe replied.  
"Sure, one large pizza with half pepperoni and half veggies and meat. Anything else?"

"Nope, that's it."

"Where are you?"

"Room 26 of the motel."

The line was silent for another moment.  
"Alright, we'll see you soon and thank you for calling Pizza Daddy."

"See ya," Sam chuckled, hanging up the phone. 

"What's so funny?" Gabriel asked. He had switched for cross legs to laying upside down, half off the bed with his hand touching the floor. 

"The kid called it Pizza Daddy."

~~

It took 15 minutes for the pizza to come, during which they took to channel surfing. 

"Nothing's ever on!" Gabriel exclaimed, throwing the remote down in exasperation. 

"Go back to channel 15, they had Dr. Phil on." Sam picked up the remote and flipped until the sass doctor popped back on screen.

Gabriel reached behind him and grabbed one of the pillows, hugging it to his chest and resting his chin. Doctor Phil was currently telling off a bratty 16 year old and, as boring as some people think it is, hearing a grown ass adult imitate a teen is always amusing. 

A knock came from the door and Sam stood to answer, grabbing his wallet from the dresser as he went.  
He returned a minute later with a pizza box and a couple paper plates. 

"We don't have to use the table, but be careful because we only have the one bed," Sam instructed, passing a plate to Gabriel. 

"Yes mom." Gabriel rolled his eyes. 

~~

Half a pizza and two episodes of Dr. Phil later, both men were starting to nod off. Sam put the remaining pizza slices in the mini fridge, then stood awkwardly at the foot of the bed. 

"So," he started, rocking on his feet. "What now?"

Gabriel shrugged and crossed his arm.  
"Pillow wall? Then it's just like two beds."

Sam thought for a moment then nodded, proceeding to take two pillows and place them down the center of the bed.  
"You stay on your side, I stay on my side. Deal?"

"Deal."

It was a bit difficult to get under the covers without disturbing the makeshift barrier, but they made do.  
Sam clicked out the lamp on his side and Gabriel followed suit.

"Good night, Gabriel," Sam whispered. 

"'Night, Moose."


	2. Day 2

Warm. Gabriel was very warm when he started to wake up.   
It had to be very early, probably around 5 AM, as the sun hadn't even started to seep through the thin curtains that covered the windows. 

Without opening his eyes, Gabriel cranked his neck to stretch, but froze when he felt something strangely soft on his face. What the hell?  
Slowly, he cracked open his eyes a bit, his body nearly going rigid after. 

Somehow, the pillow wall had been deconstructed in the night. The extra warmth he had felt was body heat, radiating from Sam, who had his arms wrapped firmly around Gabriel. Someone had tangled their legs together, effectively trapping the other in their place. There was no was to get up without waking Sam. 

He wasn't about to lie, this felt amazing. Being so close to another body in a way that wasn't harmful. Sam's arms holding him, protecting him. After Hell, Sam was the only person who'd gotten this close and not made Gabriel freak out.

He relaxed his body and wiggled so he was even closer than before, pressing into Sam's shoulder and sighing deeply.   
Slowly, Sam adjusted his grip, his arms pulling Gabriel closer to himself so there was no space between them. 

One of his hands wound up and into Sam's shirt, balling his fist in the hem and clinging to the larger body like he was gonna disappear. A part of him wanted to stay here forever, stay in Sam's arms forever. 

Unfortunately, just as he started to fall back asleep, the sun began to peek through the window. Sam, ever a morning person, started to stir. Gabriel quickly slowed his breathing and closed his eyes, trying his hardest to appear asleep. 

Much to his surprise, Sam didn't leave. He didn't attempt to push Gabriel away or let go of him. Instead, Sam pressed a light kiss to the top of his head and gently rubbed small circles in Gabriel's back. He didn't say anything, didn't make any acknowledgment that he knew this was Gabriel. Probably forgot who he was sharing a bed with in the first place...

They stayed that was until the alarm on Sam's phone went off. Gabriel groaned and pretended to start waking up. Instantly, Sam let go and squirmed away, back towards his half of the bed. 

Gabriel whined as his body now felt cold. The ghost of Sam's fingers still rubbed pretend circles on his back, but it was only a faint memory. 

He rolled over and stretched, still laying down. The sheets rustled and the floor creaked. The alarm stopped going off and the floor creaked again. 

Gabriel slowly opened his eyes and pushed himself up. Sam was crouching by his bag, rummaging through one of the pockets, probably for his toothbrush. 

"Morning, Sam," Gabriel said, his voice tired and sounding strained. 

Sam turned his head and flashed a small smile.   
"Morning."

"Did you move the pillow wall?" Gabriel asked. 

Sam froze, eyes growing wide.   
"Uh, I moved it when I got up."

That's a lie and he knew it. But whatever. 

"Does this place have breakfast?" He asked, changing the subject. 

Sam shook his head.   
"Not that I know of. There's a diner down the way, we can go there. How's that sound?"

"Fantastic. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to take a piss." Gabriel pushed back the covers and slid off the bed, making his way to the toilet. 

Sam looked at him with a questioning look.   
"Thanks, I totally needed to know that..."

The morning routine kicked off, showers, teeth brushing, and Sam convincing Gabriel to make the bed, since the maids weren't allowed in the room.

"What are you thinking of getting?" Sam asked as he shrugged on one of his signature flannels. 

"Anything as long as it has syrup and powdered sugar."

"Of course... you know you're not an actual trickster, right?"

Gabriel smirked.   
"Obviously, but I like sugar anyways so it was the perfect disguise."

The diner was a quick walk from the motel, just a couple blocks over. When they arrived, Gabriel pushed past the door, jingling the little bell above it. 

There were a few people at the counter and most of the tables were full. An empty booth sat in the corner, so Gabriel and Sam took it, sitting in opposite sides of the booth.   
A young lady with long brown hair brought out two menus and handed them to the men.

"Hi, my name is Bel and I'll be your server today." She spoke with a very proper British accent and a smile on her face.   
"Can I get you some water to start with?" 

Sam smiled back at the girl.   
"Yeah, I'll take a water."

Gabriel raised his hand before speaking, a strange quirk of his when at a restaurant.   
"Do you have pink lemonade?"

Bel shook her head.   
"Unfortunately no, but we do have strawberry lemonade if that works."

"Even better, thanks!"

Bel beamed and wrote down the drink orders.   
"I'll be back in a couple minutes with your drinks."

When she left, Sam picked up his menu and began to flip through it.   
"They have French toast if you want that. Syrup and powdered sugar." He flipped the menu around and pointed at the meal. 

Gabriel's face lit up like fireworks. God, Sam could watch that on loop for hours and never get bored. 

"What're you getting?" 

Sam blinked back to focus.   
"Uh, they have a fruit salad so probably that."

Bel returned a minute later with the drinks and two straws.   
"Are you ready to order or do you need more time?" She asked, whipping out her notepad. 

"I'll take fruit salad, he'll have the French toast." Sam ordered for both of them, just for ease. 

Bel wrote the orders down and looked back up.   
"Anything else I can get for you?"

Sam shook his head.   
"That'll be all, thank you."

"Anytime!"  
Bel took the menus and hurried back behind the counter. 

Sam pulled his phone out of his pocket and tapped the screen, waking it up.   
Gabriel leaned forwards to get a closer look. 

"So, you never told me what we're hunting," he prompted. 

Sam nodded.   
"Probably a vampire. The victims were found with multiple bite marks around the neck, some with their throats ripped out." 

"How many vics?"

"Three so far, which means we're probably dealing with a nest."

"As long as they're not like the ones from apocalypse world, I'm game."

Sam cringed at the memory.   
Starving vampires lurking in the dark corners of the tunnel, ready to attack at any moment. Pain as their teeth bore into his neck and the fear that ran through his body as they dragged him off.   
Dying. 

Sam shuttered. No more of that, thank you very much. 

"Anyways, the bodies were found in the ally behind a bookstore. There aren't any places that stand out as vampire base, but we can probably stake out the crime scene."  
Sam flipped to a map, showing the bookstore and the ally behind it. He dropped a pin on the location, then clicked his phone off. 

A bell dinged from behind the kitchen.   
"Order Up!" Someone called. 

Gabriel flicked his eyes to the counter, just in time to see Bel carrying a tray with two plates.   
"Fruit salad and French toast," she said, putting the plates on the table. 

"Just call for me if you need anything else."

"Will do."

Gabriel looked excitedly at his plate. It's been a while since he's had actual good food and not just fast food.

"Are you gonna eat it or just keep staring?" Sam asked, amused. 

"I'm gonna eat it."

~~~

"Well this day was a total waste!" Gabriel exclaimed, flopping backwards on the bed. 

A whole day spent looking, asking questions, following leads, and for what? Absolutely nothing. 

Sam sighed and opened the fridge.   
"Water or beer?" He asked. 

"Screwdriver."

"Beer it is."  
Sam grabbed two bottles and a bottle opener and joined Gabriel on the bed. 

He opened his bottle and took a sip, placing it on his nightstand before giving Gabriel the other one. 

"What's on tonight?" Sam asked, taking another sip. 

Gabriel grabbed the remote and switched on the tv.   
"Apparently, How I Met Your Mother."

Sam shrugged.   
"Why not? Want some pizza?"

Gabriel nodded and opened his drink. 

Sam got the leftover pizza ready and brought it over, using the box as a table. He grabbed his laptop, which had been sitting on the actual table, and returned to the bed. 

"Whatcha doing?" Gabriel asked, leaning over to see Sam's screen. 

"Checking if there's anywhere a vamp might pick for a nest."

"Aw c'mon Sammy! We can research tomorrow, just watch tv."

Stubborn as ever, Sam shook his head.   
"Just lemme check, it won't take long."

He typed a few words into the search bar, but nothing came up. No abandoned buildings, no shady places, nothing except small alleyways between the nearly picturesque shops. 

He threw his arms down on the bed in frustration.   
"How is there nothing?"

Gabriel shrugged, taking a bite of his pizza.   
"Maybe it's not a vampire," he said with his mouth full. 

Maybe it's not a vampire? Wait, maybe it's not a vampire!  
"Gabriel, you're a genius!"

The blond looked confused, but he rolled with it.   
"Thanks?"

"What if it's not a vampire! What if it's a vetala!"

"A vetala? Aren't those the snake ladies?" 

Sam nodded.   
"Vetala attacks are similar to vampires. And this would explain why there's no other signs of vampires like cattle mutilation."

He typed furiously at his keyboard, then flipped the screen to show an image of a being surrounded with smoke.   
"The only ones I've seen camped out in warehouses, but you could be onto something."

Gabriel squinted at the screen, nodded, then closed the laptop.   
"Watch the TV, they're clearly not going anywhere."

~

By the time the pizza and beers were gone it was around 10 pm. Early for a hunter, but a blessing to be able to sleep this early. 

Sam rose from the bed, stretched his arms, grabbed some clothes, and headed to the bathroom. He changed clothes and brushed his teeth before leaving. 

Surprisingly, Gabriel had cleaned up the pizza box and empty bottles. They now sat by the way to small trash bin next to the closet.   
Gabriel sat crisscross on the bed, zoned out on the TV (which was switched off.)

Sam clapped his hands and Gabriel jolted, whipping his head towards the sound.   
"Jesus Christ, Sam," he said, catching his breath. 

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Sam muttered, embarrassed. 

Gabriel shook his head.   
"It's fine, I'm just tired..."

"Then why don't you go to sleep?" 

Gabriel yawned.   
"That sounds like a good idea."

He crawled under the covers and Sam got in on his side. Neither bothered with the pillow wall this time, and neither questioned the other. Sam switched off his light, Gabriel his, and they lay back on the pillows. 

"Good night," Sam whispered.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this chapter contains a nightmare and flashbacks to abuse  
> Read at your own risk

Angst warning: flashbacks, abuse, and possible triggering content. Read at your own risk. 

Gabriel opened his eyes and his stomach dropped. Grey stone walls surrounded him, one wall being replaced with thick, rusty iron bars.   
Oh no  
Not again   
Not. Again 

He tried to open his mouth, but he couldn't. His mouth was stuck. Sewn shut.   
He crawled towards the bars, afraid to look through. 

A flash of white crossed his vision before the iron bars creaked and rattled. They were opening.   
Gabriel stumbled back, shrinking in on himself, pleading silently for everything to go away. 

A rough hand grabbed his arm, squeezing it and making pain course through his body. He tried to writhe out of the grip, only succeeding in tearing the thin rags that hung from his bloodied skin. 

Gabriel could feel his heart pounding in his chest and his breath grow quicker.   
He tried to scream but the thick and crude stitches kept his lips sealed, pulling on the tender skin, making him scream even more. 

"Hold still, boy. And silence your awful screaming. There's a reason we sewed your lips shut," the voice growled. 

Asmodeus. 

Gabriel whined, his eyes welling up and spilling over, stinging the cuts on his face, which only brought more tears. 

He was harshly shoved to the floor, unable to brace himself and falling to his side. Asmodeus yanked him up to a sitting position and held him in place by his hair. 

"Sit. Still." 

His whole body went ridged as fingers pushed his hair away from his neck, exposing his skin. A sharp pain ran through his body, making his vision fade in and out and a zap run down his spine. 

Gabriel's eyes flashed open, his chest tight. His cheeks were wet and his whole body was sticky with sweat.   
He sat up in the dark of the room, breathing heavily, still panicking.   
He shrunk in on himself, bringing his legs to his chest and trying to hide himself from everything. 

Sam stirred awake from the noise. Being a hunter had trained him to always be alert, even while asleep.   
He scanned the room for any sign of danger, only to freeze when he saw Gabriel. 

He was curled into a ball, his hands tangled in drenched hair, covering his ears. He was breathing heavily and slightly whimpering, muttering unintelligible words under his breath. 

Sam got out from under the covers and moved closer to his friend.   
"Gabriel? Gabriel, it's Sam." 

Gabriel went silent for just a moment, peeking up from his knees before his rapid breathing picked back up. 

"Hey, it's okay. It's okay. You're okay."  
He didn't want to touch Gabriel until he calmed down. His behavior was similar to after he was freed from Asmodeus. 

Gabriel opened his eyes. They were wide with fear and streaming tears.   
He tried to speak, each word sounding strangled and hoarse. 

"Sam..." he whispered, starting to unball and calm down. 

The hyperventilating stopped, but Gabriel was still breathing heavily.   
He timidly moved his arms, reaching out, then jerking them back. 

Sam crawled closer until his knees brushed against Gabriel's ankles. At first, Gabriel flinched and Sam began regretting his actions. Then Gabriel went limp, melting into Sam andl clinging to him like a life raft. 

Sam, though unprepared, instinctively wrapped his arms around the smaller man, pulling him onto his lap and holding him close.   
He brushed damp hair from Gabriel's forehead and tucked the loose strands behind his ear. 

He whispered small things, saying he was okay, that he was safe, and that Sam wasn't going anywhere. His hands ran gently up and down Gabriel's back in a soothing rhythm, occasionally switching to his head to stroke his hair. 

The labored breathing and soft whimpers eventually began to slow to a hiccuped breath every once in a while, then to steady breathing. The hands that had tangled themselves in the fabric of Sam's shirt loosened and fell slowly to the bed.   
He was asleep. 

Now, there was no way Sam was about to let go. Gently, he turned around, holding Gabriel close to himself so as not to disturb him.   
Sam lay down on his back and let the smaller blond rest on his chest. 

Gabriel took a sharp breath in, before releasing it slowly and nuzzling his face right over Sam's heart. His arms loosely wrapped around what they could reach of Sam's torso, once again balling up in the fabric. Only this time, it wasn't because he was scared, but to get closer. 

Sam still ran a hand gingerly over Gabriel's back, pressing lightly sometimes and tangling in what used to be his shirt. His free hand scrabbled for the blanket and pulled it over both of them. Sam let his hand join the other before relaxing both over Gabriel's waist.   
Why does this all feel so normal?

He didn't question it long, as sleep started to pull him back. Before he drifted off, Sam brushed Gabriel's hair away from his forehead again before pressing a kiss to the spot.  
He wanted to do more to comfort his friend, but his eyelids grew heavier than anvils and he drifted back to sleep. 

~~~

Sam woke in the same position he'd fallen asleep in, arms wrapped around Gabriel, the smaller still laying on his chest. 

Unlike the previous day, Sam didn't move when he felt Gabriel stir. He couldn't, his friend needed him. 

"Hey," he breathed as whiskey eyes met his hazel ones. "Sleep okay?"

"Mhm." Gabriel nodded, burying his face in Sam's neck.   
"Thanks," he mumbled. 

"Don't worry about it," Sam whispered, tracing small circles onto his back, like he did the first night. 

"What did you dream about? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Hell," Gabriel said, voice just above a whisper.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

Gabriel shook his head, and Sam left it at that. If anyone would understand ptsd or hell, it's Sam. 

"You gonna be able to work today or do you wanna stay here while I work?" 

"'M fine, just need some time."

Sam allowed his friend to stay with him until he was ready. For an hour, they lay together on the bed, much more intimate than friends were normally. 

At 8:06, Gabriel pushed up a bit and started to roll off of Sam. He didn't let go, just moved to his side and attempted to pull the moose from the bed. 

Sam gave in, pushing both himself and his companion to a sitting position.   
"You ready to get up?"

"I want a cinnamon roll."

~~~

The pair walked to the same diner they did the previous day. Gabriel was quiet for most of the walk, not like he normally was. The shoved his hands in his pockets and kept his head down, lips pressed in a firm line. 

The silence was strange. It made Sam mildly uncomfortable. 

"So, after we get breakfast, let's go federal and talk to the police again. Maybe we missed something."

Gabriel nodded, still silent.   
Sam frowned, but he's not surprised. Years of torture must have been mentally scarring. It's a wonder Gabriel's even recovering in the first place. 

The bell jingled above the door, warmth and nice smells flooding every sense. Gabriel seemed to brighten up a bit, looking up from the ground. 

The waitress from yesterday, Bel, glanced up from clearing a table and gave them a wave. Sam waved back and went to sit at the counter. 

A girl with short brown hair flashed a smile and pulled out a notebook.   
"Hi, what can I get you? Oh, I'm Hannah by the way."

"Hi Hannah. Uh, do you have cinnamon rolls?" 

Hannah scribbled something down on the notepad, giving a nod.   
"Yep, and they taste amazing!"

"Great! Well take two cinnamon rolls please."

"Coming right up!"

Gabriel turned to Sam, a little confused.   
"You? Eating a cinnamon roll? Never thought I'd live to see the day."

Sam lightly pushed him in the shoulder.   
"Hey! Maybe I just wanted to splurge today?"

The small smile on Gabriel's face started to fade. He fiddled with his jacket sleeves and stared down at his lap.   
"Hey, about last night..."

"You don't need to explain," Sam interrupted.   
"Bad dreams happen, you needed comfort, don't worry about."

"Thanks," Gabriel said in a soft voice.   
"Thanks for, holding me, last night."

Sam smiled.   
"Don't worry about it."

For a moment, everything was silent. Neither spoke, they just looked at the other. What is even going on?

"Two cinnamon rolls," Hannah's voice broke through the silence. Good thing too, it was starting to get awkward 

"Perfect, thanks Hannah!"

"It's no problem! Enjoy the cinnamon rolls, cinnamon rolls!"

Sam wrinkled he noes a bit, but shrugged off the strange comment. These were large cinnamon rolls, about the size of Sam's hand.   
Gabriel had a look of pure joy on his face as he began unraveling the pastry. 

It was kinda amusing, how excited the former archangel got over anything with sugar in it. Sam found himself zoning out on that contagiously joyful expression. 

~~~

The day went only a little better than the former. The police had nothing. No witnesses, no suspects, nothing. They thought it was a wild animal, so that didn't help either. 

After getting some fast food, the men headed back to the motel. 

The TV had almost nothing on, just some Dr. Phil again. Gabriel watched TV and Sam did research.

"I don't get it," Gabriel said, stealing one of Sam's fries.   
"How did we find nothing?"

Sam shot him a look. Gabriel, focused on a case? But he wasn't about to complain, so he shrugged.   
"Some cases are like this. We find nothing for almost a week, then get the breakthrough we need."

Gabriel groaned and face planted into the table.   
"What I really want is for this case to be over. Then we can go back to the bunker and watch Netflix."

"Your priorities will never cease to amaze me," Sam commented blankly. 

Sam was up for an hour after Gabriel fell asleep. This case was frustrating him. There's no abandoned buildings, no shady warehouses, no nothing! It's all just perfect little town houses and this inn, which is the shadiest, but it's not saying much since it's a relatively nice motel. 

Maybe something's going on with the bookshop? All the victims were found in the alley behind it, so there might be a connection.

Oh well, we'll sort this out tomorrow.   
Sam closed his laptop with a sigh. He rubbed the strain from his eyes and quickly glanced to the bed. Gabriel was out like a light, literally tangled in the blanket. 

Sam changed his clothes and brushed his teeth before walking back to the bed, shaking his head a little at the predicament. 

He could move the blankets to get some for himself, but that might wake Gabriel. After the rough night yesterday, it's probably best to just let him sleep. 

He could sleep with no blanket, but it's fall and the air gets cold after a bit so that's a no. 

The only logical option was to try to use what little blanket was left. But that meant practically spooning his friend- not that they probably wouldn't end up like that anyways. 

With a shrug, Sam went with the third option. He flipped out his light and carefully crawled across the bed, getting right behind Gabriel. He hesitated, this was a bad idea, wasn't it?

Oh well, no going back now.   
Sam moved one leg under the little vacant blanket, then the other. He tensed up slightly when he felt his shin brush against a surprisingly warm foot. The owner of said foot didn't react more than a slight twitch. 

Sam relaxed as he slowly, but surely worked his way under the rest of the blanket. A part of him wanted to go all the way, to wrap his arms around Gabriel and pull him close to him like the night before. A part of him wanted to be as close to the smaller body as he possibly could.  
This part of him was making his heart beat heavily in his chest and seem to migrate to his stomach. 

Where was this all coming from? Sure, Sam had found himself admiring Gabriel more than once, but it couldn't be more than just an appreciation for his physical appearance, right?

The way his heart was beating said otherwise. Maybe it was always more than a physical attraction. Maybe Sam always felt drawn to the Trickster. His sense of humor, the way his face shone when he was excited, how smart he actually was, even though he usually kept that part of him hidden...

So many things Sam had never even noticed himself paying attention to. So many things that made him want more from Gabriel than to just be his friend. 

Sam gave in, his arm hovering for a split second before wrapping around Gabriel, pulling him flush against his chest and tangling their legs together. He sighed contentedly and closed his eyes, his face buried in Gabriel's hair.

He could feel his friend's heartbeat against his wrist, and he was sure Gabriel could feel his own heart pounding in his chest.

Gabriel didn't show any signs of being awake, until he moved a hand up and grabbed Sam's wrist. He wrapped his other arm around Sam's and pressed back against his friend. 

God, Sam could get used to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote the nightmare based off my own experiences with flashbacks and panic attacks  
> I hope you like the chapter


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter today   
> Also a cameo from one of my close friends

The night went by peacefully. No nightmares tonight.

Sam woke up to soft hair ticking his neck. A quiet laugh escaped his lips as he opened his eyes. Gabriel had flipped around sometime in the night and had nuzzled his face into Sam's chest. 

Sam didn't want to get up. He was comfortable and the sensation of all but holding his friend was more than he could ever ask for. Each morning had been perfect, no matter how much the pair ignored them during the day.

Sam leaned back a little and stared at Gabriel's face. He'd never noticed before, but Gabriel had tiny freckles that crossed over his nose. He brought up his hand to trace over them. Gabriel still seemed to be asleep, yet he leaned into the touch, so Sam kept his hand on his face. 

He brushed his thumb over Gabriel's cheekbones and sighed, closing his eyes. If only he was awake, then see just how much Sam cares about him. 

Sam peeked over his friend to see the clock.   
5:26 AM  
There's still time to sleep. 

He pressed his lips lightly against Gabriel's forehead before pulling him close and dosing off again. 

~~~

The next time he woke up was a more reasonable time. Around 7:45.   
They were still tangled together when Sam opened his eyes.   
Damn. Gabriel sleeps like a rock...  
Sadly, it was time to get up. 

"Gabriel," Sam whispered. "Hey, it's time to get up."

Gabriel groaned and twisted his hand into the fabric of Sam's shirt.   
"No it's not. It's time when I'm ready, and I'm not ready."

Sam smiled and shook his head.   
"If the world worked like that, we'd never leave."

Gabriel nodded and snuggled closer to Sam, his face hiding in his friend's neck.   
"That's the point."

His voice send vibrations down Sam's spine and right to his heart. He hummed a little and started to loosely run his hand through Gabriel's hair.   
"Fine, just a little longer."

~~

"A little longer" turned into half an hour. Eventually, Sam needed to get up for bathroom purposes.   
When he left the room, Gabriel stayed in the bed, pondering the last few nights. 

Was there something more? This whole thing felt strangely domestic, not that Gabriel was complaining. He knew how he felt about Sam, he had for a while now, but did Sam actually feel the same?

The sound of a toilet flushing snapped him out of his thoughts. Sam returned a few moments later and took a seat on the bed.   
"Are you planning on getting up today, or am I gonna have to get breakfast alone?"

"I'm getting up, just taking my time."

Sam laughed and playfully pushed his friend.   
"Well come on, it's almost 8:15 

~

The day decided to be a particularly cold one for November in Utah. Gabriel's normal jacket wasn't enough, so he had a couple of Sam's hoodies (which he was surprised the moose owned and packed) instead. 

Throughout the whole walk to the diner, Gabriel's hand felt empty. He wanted to reach out and grab Sam's, link their fingers together as they walked. But he didn't. He didn't because Sam showed no sign of returning his feelings.   
In fact, the only time he sort of did was in that motel room, when it was just the two of them. 

Sam must have noticed something was off.   
"You okay?"

Gabriel nodded.   
"Yeah, just missing the bed."

The taller man frowned. He stopped them from walking and placed his hands on Gabriel's shoulders, turning him to face him. 

"Seriously, are you okay? You don't seem like yourself. You're too quiet. Is it the nightmare still?"

Gabriel shrugged. Yeah, that's a little of it, but mostly he was confused. Confused about Sam and what to do about these feelings he's harbored all this time.

"Can we just get breakfast?"

~

The bell jingled as the door to the diner opened. Hannah looked up and waved, a welcoming smile on her face.   
The pair waved back before taking a booth. 

Bel came by in less than a minute.   
"Good morning!"

Sam gave a polite nod and Gabriel said 'good morning' back. 

"You know," the waitress started. "Hannah and I were placing bets on when you'd get here."

Sam chuckled at this.   
"We would have been here sooner, but this one wouldn't get out of bed."

Gabriel shrugged, his face going a little pink.   
"It's warm, don't judge me, Sammy."

Bel smiled at the pair. They're definitely gonna last.   
"Anyways, what can I get for you?"

Gabriel raised his hand, then spoke.   
"French toast, please."

Bel made a note, then turned to Sam.

"Uh, just a muffin, thanks," he said with a small smile. 

Bel wrote it down and tapped the notebook with her pen.   
"Your breakfast will be out in a moment."

When she walked away, Sam looked at Gabriel.  
"What's wrong, something clearly is."

"I'm fine," Gabriel denied. 

"Bullshit, there's no way."

Gabriel shifted his gaze to his lap and pursed his lips.   
"It's stupid, so drop it please..."

Sam frowned, but nodded. He'd get answers after the hunt. 

~~~

Today was a more successful day. There was a lead on two girls from a local bar. One of them had "gone missing" and the other one reportedly kept having people help her look.   
How the police missed this, Sam had no idea. 

Gabriel was pissed that it took this long to get a lead. When they got back to the motel, he dramatically flopped back onto the bed.   
"This case is taking forever!"

Sam shrugged.   
"Some are like that."

"Yeah, but this one's boring."

Gabriel toed off his shoes and flipped up the hood of his (Sam's) jacket. He rolled onto his stomach and took the remote from Sam's nightstand. 

"Maybe they have something good on..." he muttered. 

Sam glanced at the door, then Gabriel, then the empty ice holder. 

"I'm gonna get some ice, be right back."

Gabriel gave a lazy wave and went back to channel surfing. 

Sam grabbed the ice pail and left the room, flipping the deadbolt in so the door would stay open. The ice machine was just a short walk up the stairs, Sam took them two at a time. 

Next to the ice machine sat a vending machine. Smiling softly to himself, Sam put in a dollar and pressed a button. 

He returned with the ice pail and a small treat for his former angel. Gabriel had taken a pillow and propped his chin up under is, his feet at the head of the bed. 

"Channel 28 had The Office. I ordered Chinese food while you were gone. I got you beef and broccoli," Gabriel said when he heard the door close. 

"That's great, thanks Gabe."

Sam quickly crossed in front of the TV to return the ice pail before joining his friend on the bed. He tapped Gabriel on the arm.   
"I gotcha something."

Gabriel turned his head and broke into a grin. Sam had a box of gummy lifesavers in his hand. Gabriel took them from Sam, paused for a second, then twisted around and slung his arms around Sam's neck. 

"You're the best!"

Sam beamed and hugged back, running his hands along Gabriel's shoulder blades.   
When the smaller's grip loosened, Sam let go, both still grinning ear to ear. 

Such a simple gift. Such a small, tiny thing that wouldn't mean much to outsiders. Something that was special to the two of them.   
Surprisingly, that was gummy lifesavers. 

After a particularly long day, soon after the close call with apocalypse world, Sam had gone out a picked up a bag for his friend. It wasn't meant to mean as much as it did, just make him smile, but it was the first gift Gabriel had received in a long time.   
Such a simple gift, but it meant the world to them. 

Gabriel peeled back the thin cardboard on top and opened the inside bag. He fished out a couple and popped on into his mouth. The other, he held out to Sam.   
Sam shook his head and pushed Gabriel's hand back. 

"I got them for you, not me."

"And I want to share. So stop being a dick and just take it."

Sam rolled his eyes, huffing out a laugh before taking the small candy. The color was light green, almost the same color as grass. He flipped it around in his hand a few times before consuming. 

The Office had all but been forgotten about. Gabriel had taken the lifesavers and put them on his fingers like rings. He held them to the light and sighed dramatically.   
"I bet I could get a fortune for my jewels. Only I'd never sell them. They taste too good."  
He collapsed forwards, dissolving into a puddle of laughter. 

Sam tried not to, but he found himself laughing too, laying down next to his friend. Just look at us, he thought. Two grown ass men, acting like children.

It took a bit, but eventually their laughter faded out, leaving behind a strange sort of pressure in the air. Breathing got difficult and all sounds seemed to fade away. All sounds except faint breathing and thumping heartbeats. 

The longer the pair laid in silence, the thicker the tension got. Sam opened his mouth to speak but he couldn't think of anything to say. Gabriel was in a similar state, speechless and breathing shallow. 

Gabriel shifted so his head was propped up by his elbow.   
"Sam, I-"

"NEW SWIFFER! CLEANS BETTER, OR YOUR MONEY BACK!"

Gabriel jolted, half falling off the bed. Sam had his eyes wide and was quiet for a moment, then burst out laughing. 

"Did you put your elbow on the volume button?"

Gabriel pushed himself back on the bed and stared off into and empty corner of the room, slightly pouting.   
"Shut up, I was distracted..."

"By what?"

At that moment, much to Gabriel's relief, a knock came from the door.   
"I'll get it!" He exclaimed, hopping off the bed and practically sprinting to the door, slipping a bit on his socks. 

Sam hadn't paid attended to to just how big his hoodie was on Gabriel until now. The sleeves went well past his hands and the base of the jacket was halfway down his thighs.   
Gabriel in any of Sam's clothes made him look tiny and (though he won't say it outloud) kinda cute. 

Gabriel peeked through the little peephole. The only thing really visible was some dark hair.   
He backed up and opened the door. A petite girl with short, curly, brown hair stood behind. She had a bag in her hand with a red logo. 

"Hi, did you order the Chinese food?" She asked, holding the bag up slightly. 

Gabriel nodded.   
"Yeah, you got it!"

The girl smiled and handed the bag over.   
"I'll just need you to sign here and hand over payment."  
They held out little notepad and a pen. 

Gabriel took the pen and signed his first name, then a random scribble because no one questions signatures.   
There was a section for the amount paid and a tip. 

"Em? Is that you?" He asked. 

The teen, Em, nodded.   
Gabriel grinned and reached in back pocket for money.   
"Here, $16.00 for the meal. And here's $10.00 for tip."

Em looked like they were trying and failing to conceal the large to smile attempting to cross her face.   
"Thank you so much!"

"Don't worry about it," Gabriel said. 

"Anyways, um, have a nice evening," Em waved before turning around and walking away.   
She must have thought Gabriel closed the door, because the second they reached the parking lot Em let out a very excited giggle. 

Before she could catch him, Gabriel closed the door and turned back to Sam.   
"We got food!" He exclaimed, holding up bag. 

~~~

"What's your fortune?" Gabriel asked, fiddling the wrapper of his fortune cookie. 

Sam shrugged and broke open the hard shell. The small slip of paper fell out and he picked it up.   
"Uh, 'a pleasant surprise awaits you.'" Sam squinted at the words before dropping it to the table.   
"What's yours?"

Gabriel opened his and read the slip.   
"'Embrace this love relationship you have!'"

"Well, if I had a partner, maybe I could," he scoffed, gnawing on the cookie. 

Sam took a sip of his water before boxing up the leftovers. It was around 8:25 so there was some time to kill.   
While he was putting the takeout boxes in the mini fridge, the bathroom door closed. A few moments later, the shower turned on. 

Sam busied himself with research, specifically into the bookshop where the bodies showed up. It was owned by an older woman and her granddaughter. Judging by the reviews, the store was a seemingly magical place. Nothing about it screamed 'vetala' or anything murdery. 

When the shower turned off and Gabriel returned to the room, Sam had spaced out on the screen. 

"Whatcha looking at?" Gabriel asked, placing a hand on Sam's shoulder and peering at the screen. 

Sam flinched a little at the sudden contact.   
"Just the bookshop, nothing you'd find exciting."

"Hey," Gabriel laughed. "I happen to like to read."

Sam scoffed.   
"And what do you read?"

"Books, what'd you read?"

~~~

By 11, Sam felt his eyes straining. He closed the screen and rolled his neck.   
"Okay, I'm gonna change and then I'm going to bed. You gonna stay up?"

Gabriel shrugged.   
"I'm not tired, so probably."

Sam grabbed his pajamas and went into the bathroom. Gabriel flicked on the TV and channel surfed again. 

"Hey Samantha! They have National Geographic on!" He yelled. 

Sam returned to the room and ran a hand through his hair.   
"Just keep the volume low," he said before climbing under the sheets. 

Gabriel listened and put the volume at 25 before leaning back and relaxing into the pillows. 

~

Two episodes later, Gabriel was having a hard time staying up. His vision kept fading and his head was bobbing as he went in and out of consciousness. 

He flipped off the tv and let the remote fall, to tired to really care where it went. He scrunched up into a ball and maneuvered the blankets out from under him and slipped under.   
The light had long since been out, so Gabriel closed his eyes and sighed contently. 

He could feel Sam's warm breath on the back of his neck. It sent a tingle down his spine and through his toes.   
He wiggled his body until he was right against Sam, back to chest. He reached over both of their torsos and kidnapped Sam's arm, wrapping it around himself and sinking further into his warmth.

Just as Gabriel started to drift off to sleep, a loud growling sound echoed through the room. Gabriel flinched and wrapped his arms around Sam's even tighter. The growling sounded again, right behind him. 

God dammit! Who knew Sam snored?

Gabriel glared and kicked behind him, trying to make his friend stop. Sam did not and proceeded to snore. Gabriel kicked again, this time making Sam groan and pull his arm away.   
But it still didn't work. 

One last time, Gabriel kicked. This time Sam's legs tangled around his own and held them down.   
"Whaya wan?" Sam asked, half asleep. 

"You snore like a cave of bears with smoking problems," Gabriel answered, trying to pull his legs back. 

Sam hummed and used his legs to pull Gabriel's closer.   
"You kicked me, now suffer the consequences."

Now, Gabriel wasn't opposed to this at all. In fact, this was an ideal situation to be in. But if he had to be right against Sam when he was snoring, count him out. 

"You stay quiet, I stay still, we both sleep," he muttered.   
Sam seemed to think for a minutes before twisting his arm over his body and taking the smaller man's hand.

"Jus go to sleep," he muttered, burying his face in the nape of Gabriel's neck.   
He pressed his lips against his skin and hooked his legs around Gabriel's thighs, pulling him as close as possible. 

Gabriel was melting inside. He wanted more: more of Sam. His heart was pounding in his chest, so hard he was sure the next room over could hear. Sam could definitely feel it, because he pulled away a little.   
"You okay?" He asked. 

Gabriel swallowed his nerves and nodded.   
"I'm okay."

"You're lying. What's wrong?"

"I-" Gabriel stuttered, uncharacteristically shy.   
"I-I, being human's hard..."

Sam started to turn his friend around to face him, and Gabriel complied. Now they were chest to chest, face to face. Even though it was dark, Gabriel could see the faint highlights of moonlight that seeped through the thin curtains, perfectly framing Sam's face. 

"Sam, what would you say if..." he trailed off, nerves getting the better of him. 

Sam took a breath and nodded his head, as if to say 'please continue.'

"What would you say if I... if I asked you... if I said I wanted to kiss you?" He finished, heart throbbing, practically about to burst out his chest. 

Sam was silent, his eyes closed and a blank expression on his face. Gabriel started to breath quicker, this was a bad idea.   
He closed his own eyes and started to turn away. 

Two hands caught his face before it went in the pillow and turned it back. Gabriel still had his eyes closed as regret surged through his mind.   
Then something unexpected happened. He felt two soft lips press against his own, only for a brief second before they went away. 

Gabriel's eyes flew open. That didn't just happen did it? He must have been imagining it.   
But the look on Sam's face, faintly flushed cheeks and slightly turned up eyebrows, the look showed that it was real. 

"I'd do that."

A smile crept up his face and soon both men were grinning like idiots. 

"I'd do that," Sam repeated. 

Another few seconds of silence passed before Sam surged forwards and captured Gabriel's lips with his own, a small sigh of contentment leaving him when he kissed back. 

Sam wrapped his arms around Gabriel's shoulders and rolled onto his back, pulling Gabriel on top of him. Gabriel broke the kiss when he was moved and rested his forehead against Sam's. 

"Wow Sammy," he breathed.   
"No one ever told me you were that good of a kisser."

Sam huffed, a smile still present on his expression. He didn't say any words, only smiled and held him close.


End file.
